Convertible vehicle



Jan. 14, 1947. r. F. sPAcKMAN 2,414,214

CONVERTIBLE VEHICLE Filed April .17, 11.942

3 sheets-sheet t1 QN N101 Jan. 14, 1947. r F. sPAcKMAN CONVERTIBLE VEHICLE Filed April 1v, 1942 s shqe'cs-sneei 2 Jan. 14, 1947. 11F. A SPACKMAN 2,414,214

CONVERTIBLE VEHICLE Filed ,April 17, 1942 v 5 sheds-sheet s 2+ ,60' l 75'. ,I l- 46,2 I 6 I l l Il l" uw* w' 1 w" uw' d), 62) Il Patented Jan. 14,1947

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONVERTIBLE VEHICLE Thomas F. Spackman, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Stewart-Warner Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of rVirginia Application April 17, 1942, Serial No. 439,331

5 Claims. l`

The present invention relates to vehicles and is more particularly concerned with the provision of a portableor groundtype heater carriage, having novel features which particularlyl adapt it for use on airports and on various types of terrain.

It is one of the objects `of the present invention to provide a portablel heater carriage particularly Well `adapted for use on airportsand on varioustypes of terrain.

Yet another object of' the present invention is to provide a novelcarriage for an airport heater which is compact and can be moved about with ease over either hard surfaces or over slush or mud or deep snow.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a novel carriage for a portable` heater of compact design which can be quickly converted for use either overI hard, surfaces or over deep snow or muddy surfaces.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a novel carriage for supporting a heating unit to provide easy portability for such a unit.

Other objects and advantages will become Aapparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment of my invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a portable airport heater embodying the present invention shown in use for Warming cold airplane motors;

Fig. 2 `is a detailed view showing a portion of the heater carriage on a large scale so as better to illustrate features of the present invention. This view may be considered as a side elevation of the portion shown with one wheel removed from the structure and is indicated as being taken substantially along the line 2'2` of Fig. 4, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 3 is a detailed view, showing the portion of'the mechanism illustrated in Fig. 2 with a part thereof in an alternative position and in association with related apparatus;

Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section-al view through a portion of the apparatus and may be considered as taken in the direction ofv the arrows substantially along the line 4-4 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a horizontal' sectional view of a portion othe apparatus and Amay be considered as taken in the direction of the arrows substantially along the line 5-5 of Fig. 2;

TheV portable heater illustrated: inthe accoml panying-drawingsmay conveniently befconsid'ered ,by the blower 24'.

in two portions. One of these portions comprises the heater itself, that is, the operating heater mechanism, while the other portion comprises the carriage for the heater. The heating unit per se is described more particularly in the copending application of Henry J, De N. McCollum, en,- titled Heater, filed on even` date herewith, and which bears Serial No. 439,342.

The heating unit comprises a small internal Vcombustion engine 2|) which drives a Roots blower 22 andan air circulating blower 24. The' Roots blower 22 supplies a combustible mixture to` a heater combustion chamber 42 where the mix.- ture is ignited and burned and then passed through a heat-exchanger 44 and therefrom to the atmosphere. The hot products of combustion, in passing through the heat-exchanger 44, heat the latter and this heat is transferred through the walls thereof tothe air circulated The fresh air thus heated passes into` a manifold 46 which is formed with an upwardly extending sleeve I.|2 and side sleeves IIB. The side sleeves ||6 are connected to co1- lapsible hot air ducts |22, each of which is provided at its outer end with a nozzle |38. One nozzle |22 is shown, connected to a blanket |94 stuffed around the engine Cowling, and the other to a cover |96 provided with an opening |98 to receive the propeller shaft and an opening 200 to receive the nozzle |38. In this way heated air may be supplied to warm the airplane engines. The sleeve ||2 may be similarly fitted with a collapsible duct. When not. in use the collapsible ducts are stored in tubes |04 and llll` mounted on the portable carriage.

Although the truck and other equipment comprising the present invention may be used for other purposes, its particular purpose in the present instance is to provide an arrangement for using a heating unit of the above described type in .aneasily portable device which includes neces-A sary equipment for conveying the hot air produced by the heating apparatus to airplane` engines` to be heated and for similar purposes.

The structure comprises a frame member 52 made up of comparatively deep side members 54 connected at their ends by front and back transverse members 56, these upstanding members be ing secured to a bottom 58. This structure may be considered as a shallow tray, having inwardly extending anges Eil at its upper edge and several large openings 62 both in the bottom and in the side walls to reduce its weight and to facilitate adjustment and servicing of the equipment located Within the frame. It can be constructed by welding together flat iianged plates or by other suitable means.

At its forward end the frame member 52 is bolted at each side to a downwardly extending side plate 6d, and near its rearward end to similar downwardly extending side plas 66. To help distribute the load to these plates, L-shaped pieces 61 are welded against their inner faces with the projecting portion of the pieces lying against the lower edgesof the frame members 54. These plates 64 and 66 at their lower ends are secured to the webs of T-shaped rails or runners 68 which extend from a position somewhat rearwardly of the plates 65 to a position ahead of the forward plates 64. The forward ends of the runners 68 are curved upwardly gradually, while the rearward ends are bent up rather sharply. A sheet of metal 10 extends from end to end and between these runners and thus encloses the space therebetween. At its edges it is bent over'the run- ,ners and is secured thereto at intervals by ap- `propriete fastening elements such as the rivets 12, while at its ends, the sheet is folded over and welded to the runner ends. The sheet 10, together with the runners 68, forms a sled or toboggan type structure having an upwardly swept front end. Thus the lower surface of this sled vwhen in contact with the ground distributes the Vweight of the apparatus over a considerable area. ,To stiffen the bottom sheet 10 in the center, a third runner 13 extends longitudinally between the runners 68 and is secured to the sheet by rivets 12 inserted through the sheet and the runner flanges and by welding the sheet to the runner ends.

The internalcombustion engine 20 and associated mechanism, including the blowers 22 and 24, theicombustion chamber 42, and the connecting piping are securedto the frame 52 substantially ,directly over the back side plates 66. The heat exchanger 44 is cylindrical and extends forwardly .from the combustion chamber 42 through an opening 14 in the forward cross member 56 of the frame 52 and has its opposite end fitted into an inlet sleeve of the hot air manifold 46.

At the point where the heat exchanger 44 passes through the forward cross member 56, it is supmembers 80, which pass along the sides of a fuelv tank 4B, are welded to the forward face of the cross member 56, while a similar se't of upstanding members 84 are welded to an intermediate frame cross member 96 located adjacent the rear rend of the heat exchanger 44. This intermediate cross member is similar to the end member 56 andsimilarly has anopening through which the heat exchanger passes.

The fuel tank 48 is positioned horizontally between the upstanding members 80 and 84 and is supported by arcuate bands which pass therebeneath and are welded at their ends to the upright members 80 and B4, and at their central points to the upper faces of the cross members 56 and 90. v

bolted to the upper ends of the vertical members and 84. Each of the cross members |00 has three transversely spaced semi-circular reentrant faces shaped therein adapted to embrace and support the three longitudinally extending tubes |04'and |06. These tubes are secured to the upstanding members |00 by rivets or other suitable means to form a rigid structure.A

The tube |04 and the two tubes |66 may be formed integrally with each other from sheet metal in any suitable manner, those shown being comprised of two sheets, each having `three parallel heini-cylindrical depressions formed therein which register and match when the two sheets are placed face to face. At their opposite edges the sheets are connected together as indicated at |46 (Fig. 1) by rolling one sheet over the other, while between the depressions I they are secured by spotwelds. These tubes are somewhat larger in diameter than the largest portions of the nozzles |38 or the ducts |22, so that the nozzles and collapsed ducts can slide therein from the front ends.

A handle |08, by which the device is manipulated, comprises a U-shaped portion which extends well forward of the manifold 46, having downwardly and rearwardly inclined arms which are secured by means of bolts ||0 to the side members 80 at an intermediate point and to the frame 52 at their lower ends. This handle can be formed from a length of metal tube bent as described, with the lower portions of` the arms fiattenedwhere they are secured to the frame.V

Just inside the downwardly inclined armsof the handle |08, a U-shaped bracket is secured to the frame at its ends while its. midv portion extendsforwardly and has aninwardly bowedvfface formed therein which rests against the rearward cylindrical surface of the vertically extending outlet sleeve l2 of the hot air manifold 46. A strap ||4 embraces the forward'faceof the sleeve ||2 at this point and is bolted at its ends to the bracket I so that by tightening the bolts secured to the ends of this strap, the manifold-46 can be drawn into position with its inlet sleeve slid over the outlet end of the heat exchanger 44.

The portable heater as just described is jexcellently adapted for use over deep snow, muddy ground or other soft surfaces where the considerable area of the sheet 10 will prevent the device from sinking into the soft surface.y It handles like a sled or toboggan, thus making it easy for an operator to pull the device about by means of the handle |08. Such a sled type base is not, however, particularly well adaptable for use on hard surfaces, such as concrete runways or 'the like. I have, therefore, provided a pair of rubber tired wheels |68 mounted upon an axle |10 Vwhich extends transversely` through the plates 66 in a position just above the rails 68, a portion of the web of the rails being cut away, as indicated at |12, to permitthe axle to be brought as low asposlsible relative to the sheet 10. This axle extends through slots |14 in the plates 66 and a pair of enlargements or collars |19 formed `upon the axle just inside the plates, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, prevent the axle from moving longitudinally. Each of these slots, as shown particularly in Figs. 2 and 3, comprises a vertically extending rivets |84 or other suitable meansto the plates 66 5 in. a` position rearwardly of the slots |14' and these rivets areso located. that they are equidisitant` from the lowerends |18 and the upper ends `|80 of the slots |14. At its forward. end; each of the locking arms |82 is provided with a notch |86 which is adapted to t over. the upper face of the axle |18 when the axle is against the lower end of the slot |18. Likewise, since the upper end of the slot |88 is the same distance from the pivot point |84 as the lower end |18, the notch |86 will also t over the axle |10 when theaxle is located in the upper end |88 of the slot |14. The ends of the locking arms |82 opposite from the notches |86 are connected by a transversely -extending rod |88, and a pair of coil springs |98 are hooked to this rod adjacent each end thereof and extend upwardly' and are connected at their upper ends to the upper flanges 80 of the frame side members 54. The springs |98, therefore, continuously urge the bar |88 upwardly, thus tending to rotate the forward ends of the locking arms |82 downwardly.

In Fig. 3 the axle |10 is shown located at the lower ends |18 of the slots |14 with` the notches |86 of the locking arms embracing the upper face of the axle. With the axle in this position the wheels |68 project well below the bottom sheet 18, thus tilting the carriage forwardly with the rounded forward portion of the sheet 18 against the ground surface. inasmuch as the weight of the apparatus is transferred to the axle` |18 principally by the plates 66 at the top edges of the slot portions 18, there will be very little tendency for the axle to slip rearwardly in the lower portions |18 of these slots. However, such tendency as there is for the axle to move in this direction will be offset by the locking members |82, since any tendency of the axle to move in this direction will be directed substantially toward the pivot points at the rivets |84. Thus, only comparatively little tension in the springs |90 will be necessary to insure the axle being locked against the ends of the lower portions |18 of the slots |14,

When it is desired to move the apparatus on its supporting wheels over a hard surface, the operator grasps the handle |88 and lifts the forward portion of the sheet 1|! clear of the ground. The apparatus can then be pulled about by the operator, or it can be pushed like a wheelbarrow.

When the operator encounters a soft surface into which the wheels |68 will sink to an undesirable extent, the operator depresses the bar |88, thus lifting the forward ends of the locking arms |82 and, if necessary, gives the device a slight forward push sufliciently to move the axle |18 rearwardly into the vertical portions |16 of the slots |14. The carriage is then lowered with the axle |10 moving relatively upwardly through the vertical portions |16 of the slots |14 until the bottom sheet 10 rests flat upon the ground or snow. The axle |10 is then raised slightly more and pushed forwardly into the position where it drops into the downwardly inclined forward portions |80 of the slots |14. The bar |88 is then released to permit the springs |98 to return the locking arms |82 into locking position. The positions of the several elements with the device thus adapted for use over deep snow or muddy surfaces is shown in Fig. 2.

To return the wheels to operating position, the bar |88 is again depressed to release the locking arms |82 and the wheels are lifted slightly and pulled rearwardly so that the axle |18 is located in the vertical portions |16 of the slots |14. The operator then lifts the rearward portion of the device whereupon` the axle |10.wil1 automatically move downwardly in the slots |14 until it reaches the bottoms thereof, whereupon it will roll forwardly against the lowerends of the slots as soon as the wheels are lifted from the ground. Assoon as the axle is in this positon, the bar |88 can be released to permit the springs |90 to latch the notches |86 atV the forward ends of the locking arms |82 over the axle. |10.

A typical use to. which the present device. may be. put is that of warming cold airplane motors. Such use is shown in Fig. 1. The device is; moved into position either upon its wheelsA or upon the flat bottom surface of the sled and the required number of hoses andnozzles are pulled from their cylinders. If only' one ofA these ducts is used, itY shouldbe the ductl connected to the. central sleeve |`l2 of the manifold 46, since the upper sleeve of the manifold to which this ductis connected has no damper (dampers being provided in the sleeves H6, operable by handles |28). If only the duct connected to the central sleeve is used, the dampers in the other two sleeves are closed, thus preventing waste of heat. The reason why only two dampers are provided is that this insures the heater not being started under such conditions that no hot air can escape, since under these conditions the heater would be likelyl to burn out or become otherwise injured. AnotherV reason, of course, is that whenever the heater is operating, at last one of the ducts will be used. Therefore, no Vmore than two dampers are necessary and the cost of providing three dampers is thus unwarranted.

From the above description of a preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be seen that a device constructed according to this invention is admirably adapted for use about airports or other places where portability is desirable, and further, that this invention accomplishes all of the objectives set forth for it at an earlier portion of this specification.

While I have shown and described a particular embodiment of my invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that my invention is not limited to the particular construction disclosed. I, therefore, wish to include within the scope of the following claims, all constructions by which substantially the results of my invention are obtained by substantially the same or equivalent means.

I claim:

1. In a device of the type described, a sle type structure, a pair of side members extending upwardly from said sled type structure, said side members having vertical slots therein` each of said slots having offset slotted portions at the upper and lower ends thereof, an axle extending through said slots, wheels carried by said axle, said axle being adapted to move vertically in said slots into either of said offset portions, said axle when in said lower offset portions being positioned with the lower extremities of said wheels beneath the lower extremity of said sled type structure, and pivotally mounted arms adapted by engagement with said axle at opposite sides of the device to hold the axle releasably in either the upper or the lower offset portions.

2. In a device of the type described, means .i providing a supporting surface of considerable area, a pair of side members extending upwardly from said means, said side members having vertical slots therein, each of said slots having offset portions at the upper and lower ends thereof, an axle extending through said slots, wheels carried by said axle, said axle being adapted to move vertically in said slots into either of said offset portions, said axle when in said lower oiset portions being positioned with the lower extremities of said wheels beneath the lower extremityof the surface providing means, a pivoted locking member adapted to secure said axle in said lower offset portion, the point about which said member pivots being substantially equidistant from said lower offset portion and said upper offset portion so that said pivoted locking member will also lock said axle in said upper offset portion.

3. In a device of the type described, means providing a supporting surface of considerable area, a pair of side members extending upwardly froml said means, said side members having vertical slots therein, each of said slots having oilsetv portions at the upper and lower ends thereof, an axle extending through said slots, wheels carried by said axle, said axle being adapted to move vertically in said slots into either ofl said oiset portions, said axle when in said lower oi- -setV portions being positioned with the lower extremities of said wheels beneath vthe lower extremity of the surface providing means, and movably mounted arms adapted in adjusted' positions to block said axle from movement out of said lower offset portions.

, 4. In a device of the type described, the combination of a framework, supporting means therefor having a bottom supporting face of con- 'siderable size, side portions of said framework having slots therein eachV comprisinga vertical portion and top and bottom portions extending substantially horizontally therefrom, an axle extending through said slots, wheels carried by said axle of a size adapted to extend below the framework when the axle is in the bottom slot extensions, and arms pivotally mounted on said framework in position to engage said axle in either the top or the bottom slot extensions so as to block the axle from movement o ut of the slot extensions and serving thus to lock the axle positively in position.

5. Ina device of the type described, the combination of a framework, supporting means therefor having a bottom supporting face of considerablesize, side portions of ysaid framework having slots therein each comprising a vertical portion and top and bottom portions extending substantially horizontally therefrom, an axle extending through said slots, wheels carried by said axle of a size adapted to vextend below the frame; work when the axle `is in thevbottom slot extensions, arms pivotally mounted on said framework in position toengage said axle in either the top or the `bottom slot extensions so as to block the axle from *movement out of the slot extensions and serving thus to lock the axle positivelyvin position, and coiled springs normally holding' said arms yieldingly in engagement with said axle. g

'I'HOMAS F. SPACKMAN.' 

